The Alchemist bar and restaurant is to host its first ever annual Chef competition this February in Birmingham.
The event is sponsored by fresh produce specialist Oliver Kay, along with Bidfood and Lamb Weston.
It will be held on the 2nd February in Birmingham, and has been created to celebrate talent in the bar and restaurant business. As well as challenging chefs to create a dish inspired by an Alchemist cocktail, additional rounds will include fastest omelette, most impressive knife skills and a chilli eating competition.
Despite a challenging year, the business has continued to build on a kitchen apprenticeship programme to craft the ‘Alchemist Chef’ which launched in 2018. The apprenticeship is aimed at budding chefs aged 16 and over, to fast-track them through the kitchen to achieve a ‘City & Guilds’ qualification. Since its launch the programme has successfully trained 25 apprentices.
After the difficult few years the industry has faced, particularly with recruitment levels of chefs, The Alchemist are proud to have retained talent within their kitchens, and are looking forward to many more recruitment opportunities that the annual competition will bring.
Seamus O’Donnell, The Alchemist’s Culinary Director, says “2022 is the year that everyone can finally look onwards and upwards. This is the perfect time for The Alchemist to celebrate the talent within the kitchens and bring our Chefs together nationwide across all levels, including our fantastic apprentices.”
“We are always looking at creative ways to attract and retain talent in the business. We are lucky to work with fantastic suppliers who not only have supported us over the last few years but continue to support with some incredible prizes.”
Paul Smith, Head of Sales at Oliver Kay, said: “There’s so much flavour innovation and interesting use of fresh produce in cocktails, and the competition is a great way to encourage young chefs to make the same use of flavour in dishes on the menu. From spice to fruit, there’s a great range and intensity that fresh, plant ingredients can deliver to food, that we’re here to help chefs make the most of.”
